Underframe structure for railway cars



July 26, 1960 w, DEAN ErAL 2,946,297

UNDERFRAME STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS I Filed June 18, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 aim. U

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July 26, 1960 w. B. DEAN ETAL 2,946,297

UNDERFRAME STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 18, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 PKG-16 INVENTOR:

Walter B. Dean. Hm cm P Bauer United States Patent Q UNDERFRAIVE STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Walter E. Dean, Narherth, and Horace P. Bauer, Huntingdon Valley, Pa, assignors to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 18, 1256, Ser. No. 592,195

17 Claims. (Cl. 195-397) This invention relates to an underframe structure for railway cars, particularly railway cars of light weight construction having a low center of gravity.

One of the objects of the present invention is to pro vide a railway car underframe construction which, while light in weight and economical and easy to manufacture, meets with the ICC and AAR requirements for bufling strength.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified underframe structure which is adapted for convenient connection to the railway car side and end walls to form together with the roof a closed box-sectional beam structure of great strength.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car underframe structure with a center 'sill of improved construction and great durability which is adapted to form a convenient and rigid mounting for the car seats and is adapted to form a housing for conduits and other accessories.

Another object of the invention is to provide a center sill which extends continuously from end to end of the railway car in such manner as to have a direct connection with the end collision posts, and which enables the use of a simplified end housing structure for the coupler and draft gear mechanism.

A further object is to provide a railway car underframe structure with an improved bolster unit of great strength and rigidity which is so arranged as to permit the transfer of car body loads to the car truck at regions between the center sill and the underframe side sills.

A still further object is to provide a railway car underframe structure with light weight, rigid cross bearer structures of great strength and torsional rigidity.

Other objects and advantages and the manner in which they are obtained will become evident from the following detailed description when read in connection withthe drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a railway car in which the underframe structure of the present invention is incorporated;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the railway car of Figure 1, showing in particular the manner in which the seat supports adjacent the car aisle are secured to the longitudinal sill elements of the underframe center sill;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper side of the underframe structure;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the under side of the underframe structure;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the upper side of the underframe structure showing portions of the same in greater detail;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken approximately on lines 66 of Figures 3 and 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse section taken approximately on lines 77 of Figure 3 showing one of the cross-bearers;

Patented July 26, 1960 Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken approximately on lines 8-3 of Figures 3 and 5 showing one of the car bolsters;

Figure 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the lines 99 of Figures 3 and 5 to show the coupler and draft gear housing unit and bolster in greater detail;

Figure 10 is a section taken on line Ill-10 of Figure 8 to show the bolster anchor;

Figure 11 is a phantom plan view to show how the center sill longitudinal elements extend continuously throughout the length of the car to the collision posts;

Figure 12 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken approximately on lines 12-12 of Figures 3 and 5 through the bolster;

Figure 13 is an enlarged section taken on the lines l3-13 of Figures 3 and 5 showing the coupler and draft gear housing unit in detail;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the coupler and draft gear housing unit and collision post supports;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a portion of the coupler and draft gear housing unit with one of the collision posts in dot and dash outline to show the recess which receives the collision post;

Figures 16 and 17 are perspective views, partially in section, of the coupler and draft gear housing unit showing the detailed construction of the same; and

Figure 18 is a fragmentary section taken on line 18'-'18 of Figure 9, showing the attachment of a collision post element to a longitudinal center sill element and the draft gear housing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the underframe structure A of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is embodied in a railway car of the coach type having a roof B, side and end wall structures C and D, respectively, connected with the underframe structure, as will be later described, and trucks E for supporting the car on the tracks over which it is 'to operate.

One of the features of the present invention is the center sill structure 20. It is comprised, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9, of a pair of transversely spaced, parallel sill elements 21 which extend continuously throughout the length of the car, transversely corrugated bottom plates 22 connecting the lower portions of the sill elements 21 and spaced, parallel aisle floor supporting beam elements 23 of hat-shaped cross-section interconnecting the upper portions of the sill elements 21.

Each of the sill elements 21 preferably is of one piece construction and comprises a vertical web 24, a lower inner horizontal flange 25 extending toward the corresponding flange of the other sill element 21, and an upper outwardly extending flange 26 which is downwardly bent to present a downwardly facing channel that terminates in an outwardly extending horizontal flange 2'7. Each sill element further embodies a throughrunning reinforcing outboard element 2.8 of L-shaped cross-section having one leg thereof secured at spaced intervals to the web 24 and its other leg secured at spaced intervals to the horizontal flange 27. Secured at spaced intervals to the inner face of the Web 24 of each sill element 21 is a throughrunning angle member 29 to which the flanges of the hat-shaped elements 23 are secured. The angle members 29 are so located that the top faces of the elements 23 are level with the top faces of the sill element flanges 26.

As shown in various figures, the corrugated bottom plates 22 rest upon and are secured to the lower flanges 25 of the sill elements 21. The transverse members 22 and 23 hold the sill elements laterally and form a transverse box therewith to prevent all side turning tendency of the sill elements but do not intrinsically contribute to shown) of the end walls of the car.

any considerable degree to the longitudinal or bending strength of the beam elements.

Coupler and draft gear housing units 30, to be later described, are secured to the end of the center sill 20 just described and the corrugated bottom plates 22 extend continuously throughout the length of the center sill between the end units 30 except in the regions of the car bolsters 31. At each of these regions an arched plate 32 bridges the gap between longitudinally spaced bottom plates 22.

The center sill 20 just described is thus of upwardly facing channel section, providing a throughrunning open space within which wiring and piping conduits, not shown, for the car may be disposed in concealed position. The longitudinally spaced beam members 23 allow access to this space before the floor is put down or when a portion of the floor is removed and the plates 22 provide a continuous bottom enclosure for such cables, wires or pipes as may be placed in the beam space.

Referring to Figures 9, 12 and 14 to 18, the coupler and draft gear housing units 30 each comprises a built-up welded structure that provides a housing 33 for the couplers and draft gear (not shown). This structure includes a pair of elongated, outwardly facing channel members 89 of substantial length, each having an upper flange 34 and a lower flange 35 of lesser length than the upper flange. The channel members 89 are bridged by an inverted channel member 90, the downwardly extending sides of which are are welded along their edges to the top side edges of channel members 89. The flanges 34 and 35 of channel members 89 extend outboard longitudinally beyond the webs thereof and beyond the outer end of the inverted channel member 96, and abut the inboard face of a transverse vertical end plate 91 where they are arc welded thereto, the end plate 91 being provided with a rectangular coupler opening 92. The end plate 91 is provided with an inwardly extending top plate 93 and inwardly extending side plates 94 which flank and are are welded to the channel members 89 and 90, the

notched or recessed at 36. Vertical, parallel plate elements 38, which for the purposes of this specification are hereinafter called collision post elements, constitute supports and connections for the end collision posts (not The collision post elements 38 are disposed within the recesses 36 and abut the ends of the'end plate 91, the top plate 93 and the reinforcement 95 for the top plate, the abutting surfaces being arc welded together as indicated by the numeral 37 in Figures 16 to 18, inclusive. Additional reinforcement for the structure is provided by tapering upright plates 39 which abut and extend inboard from the collision post elements 38 and are welded thereto and to the flanges 34, as indicated by the numeral 96 in Figure 14.

The coupler and draft gear housing units 30' are nested within the ends of the center sill elements 21 with the upper and lower flanges 34 and 35 of the channel members 89 thereof seated upon the upper and lower sill element flanges 26 and 25, respectively, and flanges 34 and 35 are each provided with a series of openings 40 whereby they are secured to flanges 26 and 25, respectively, by plug welds 41 as shown in Figure 5 and 14 to 18, inclusive. In this assembled position the collision post elements 38 abut the webs 24 of the center sill elements 21 and extend downwardly to the lower flanges 25 where they are are welded thereto, also indicated by numeral 37 in Figure 18.

As shown in the phantom view of Figure 11, there is thus provided a structure wherein the sill elements extend continuously throughout the length of the car and are connected directly to the collision post elements 38 V 4 a. through the medium of the adjacent upper and lower flanges 34 and 35 of the coupler and draft gear housing units 30, whereby there will be a direct transfer of stresses from the collision post elements 38 to the sill elements 21 of the center sill 20. Bufling loads likewise are transmitted directly between the sill elements 21 and the housing units 30.

The underframe of the present invention includes, as shown in Figure 6, side sills 42, each in the form of a pair of angle members 43 and 44 secured together at their vertical legs to present a channel 45, the open side of which faces inwardly toward the center sill 20. The angle members 43 are throughrunning except in the region of the bolster units to be presently described.

Disposed within the channel 45 of each side sill 42 and extending to the center sill element 21 is a rigid, sub-floor structure 46 which, although light in weight, is extremely rigid. The sub-floor structure at each side of the center sill 20 includes a corrugated floor panel or plate 47 extendingcontinuously throughout the length of the car, except ashereinafter mentioned, and being secured at spaced intervals to the horizontal leg of the side sill angle member 44 and thetflange 27 of center sill element 21. Considerable strength is imparted to the panel 47 by its corrugations which extend longitudinally of the undcrframe. The sub-floor structure 46 at each side of the center sill 20 also includes a number of parallel, longitudinally spaced transverse elements 48, some of which may be hat-shaped in cross-section whereas others may be of Z- shaped cross-section. These elements are secured to the panel 47, to the horizontal leg of the side'sill angle member 44, to the flange 27 of center sill element 21 and to the leg of the side sill angle member 43. At their inner ends the cross members or elements 48 are secured at their tops by attaching plates 49, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, to the flanges 26 of the center sill elements 21. Where the cross elements 48 are in line with the members 23 of the center sill 20, the plates 49 extend beyond the sill elements 21 and are secured to the members 23. At

other locations where the members 23 are not in line with the cross elements 48, plates 50 are secured to the flange 2160f a sill element 21 and to a cross member 23 or 48, whichever may be present.

At the vestibule end 51 of the car, the sub-floor structure terminates short of the center sill 29, as shown in Figure 5, whereby to receive the steps 52 (Figure 1).

The underframe structure intermediate the bolsters 31 is -strengthened and rigidified at spaced points longitudinally by cross-bearers 53 of tubular cross-section, as shown in Figures 4 and 7. These cross-bearers extend between the side sills 42 below the center sill 20. Flanged elements 54 welded to the cross-bearers 53 extend upwardly and are welded to the webs 24 of the web elements 21 of the center sill 20 to additionally rigidify the structure{ The ends of the cross-bearers 53 are provided with angle members 55 welded thereto which in turn are secured to the side sills 42 and to the adjacent cross elements 48.

The bolster unit 31, as shown in Figures 5, 8, 9, l0 and 12, includes an elongated attaching plate 56 at each side of the underframe in the region of the side sills 42. The plates 56 have connected to them a pair of cross members, spaced apart longitudinally of the underframe. Each cross member is comprised of a central channel member downwardly inwardly tapering flanges 61 are welded to the channel members.

These flanges are integral with a depending longitudinal inner end flange 62 which extends 5 between and is are welded to the tapered channel members 59, as indicated in Figure 8. The plate 60 is also are Welded to the attaching plate 56. The plates 58 overlap and are secured to the vertical webs of the longitudinal center sill elements 21 by plug welds 63.

The underframe side sills 42 are interrupted (Figures 5 and 12) at the region of the horizontal plates 60. At each side of the underframe structure the bolster attaching plate 56 extends upwardly through the space between the ends of the intermediate side sill and between the side wall and the ends of the Z-shaped cross members 48. The upper legs of cross members 48 at the bolster region are of considerable width and overlap the plate member 60 and, as shown in Figure 12, are welded thereto by plug welds 64. Gusset plates 65 overlie these particular cross members 48 and underlie the ends of the upper legs 43 of the side sill 42 and are welded to the cross members 48 and side sill legs 43 to form a rigid connection therebetween. The plate members 60 are provided with openings 66 and each is flanged downwardly to form a downwardly facing circumferential channel 67. Each circumferential channel 67 receives the upper end of an air spring 68 which transmits the load to one end of the car truck E.

The bolster construction just described is of rigid construction and great strength and departs substantially from the conventional type of bolster which transmits the car load to the truck through a center plate disposed on the longitudinal axis of the car.

. Referring to Figures 2, 6 and 8, each side wall structure C of the railway car is provided with a longitudinal side sill in the form of a fiat longitudinal vertical plate 69 which extends downwardly below vertical posts 7 where it flanks and is securedto a longitudinalmember 71. The longitudinal member 71 is outwardly offset to underlie the side structure posts and then extends upwardly in flanking relation with the outer faces of the posts 70.

In the assembled position of the underframe structure and sidewall structures, the fiat plate 69 of the sidewall structure C flanks and is secured to the side sill member 42 of the underframe structure through the vertical legs or webs of side sill members 43 and 44, as indicated in Figure 2. At the region of each of the bolster units 31, a plate 72 is secured to the side wall structure above the plate 69 and in edge abutting relation therewith and with 2. splice plate 73 which is provided to compensate for the interruption of the side sillelements 43 and 44 at this location, the thickness of the two plates 69 and 73 together being equal to that of plate 72 and the plates 72 and 73 being secured to each other and to the edge of plate 69. Attaching plate 56 of the bolster unit is secured by large plug welds 74 to the plates 72 and 73 above the underframe structure and is also are welded to the plate 72 as is indicated at 75 in Figures 8 and 12. Attaching plate 56 is also secured to the plates 69 and 73 and member 71-by plug welds 76.

The underframe and bolster units described enable the underframe to be disposed at a lower level than has been the usual practice whereby to lower the center of gravity of the car. In order to permit cars embodying an underframe structure of the present invention to be coupled to standard cars, the coupler and draft gear housing units are of the usual height, thus requiring the upper faces 85 of the housing unit channels 90 and top plates 93 of the end plates 91 to be at a higher level than the intermediate portion of the underframe structure. Hence, the floor is raised at the ends of the carto match the floor level of standard height cars.

At the non-vestibule end of the structure, that is, the end at the right as viewed in Figures 3, and 9, the

structure immediately in front 'of and at the sides of the or cap screws 81.

sill units '42 in front of the inverted channel member 90 and secured to the upper flanges of the housing unit 30 are longitudinal channels 83 which extend to the cross member 86. Cross members 84 also extend between and are connected to the'side sill units 42 and channel 83. The top faces of members 83, 84 and 86 just described are at the same level as the top face of inverted channel member 90. Forwardly of the cross member 86 the ends of the channel members 82 gradually decrease in height and secured to forward extensions of flanges 34 of the coupler housing unit 30 are longitudinal elements 97 which decrease in height the'same as the ends of channel members 82. The forward ends of channel members 82 and elements 97 are interconnected by transverse elements 87, thus forming with the ends of members 82 and elements 97 a support for downwardly inclined portions of the floor 88 which merges into the main floor 77.

At the vestibule end the construction is the same as that described for the other end except that the side sills and related parts are cut away for the step wells, the remaining structure being altered appropriately in a manner which need not be detailed herein.

The sub-floor 46 and center sill 20 support the floor 77 of the car as shown in Figure 2.

Also, provided in the car adjacent the side wall structure Care side rails 78 above the heating ducts 98 which support the outer ends of the seats 79. The seats 79 are provided with inner end supports adjacent the center aisle .and these supports directly overlie the longitudinal center sill elements 21 and are secured thereto by bolts The center sill elements 21 thus provide rigid unyielding supports for the seats 79. v

The center sill is so constructed and arranged as to permit easy assembly and convenient access for welding of the parts thereof. Through the use of the transversely corrugated member 22 and the upper cross members 23 substantially torsional rigidity is imparted to the center sill.' Also, by running the center sill throughout the length of the underframe for direct connection with the collision post supports, the end underframe structure which forms a housing for the couplers and draft gear can be of much simpler construction and of considerably less weight than has been possible heretofore. The widely spaced longitudinalsill elements 21 provide rigid supports for the car seats and relieve the floor and underfloor structure of the usually attendant stresses.

The bolster units and their connection to the side sills,

.while of great simplicity and of great strength, are of such construction as to permit the transfer of the car load to the trucks intermediate the center sill and the side sills.

Furthermore, the longitudinally corrugated sub-flooring imparts rigidity to the underframe and effects a considerable saving in weight.

Being of tubular cross section, the cross bearer supports for the center sill present a simplified yet rigid construction.

While a preferred embodiment of the underframe struc ture of the present invention has been described herein, it will be understood that various changes'and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention as covered by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway. car structure, collision post elements spaced apart in pairs transversely of said structure for a distance sufiicient for leaving a passage opening between them and located in longitudinally spaced pairs at the ends thereof, and an underframe center sill unit having a pair of transversely spaced sill elements extending continuously from end to end of said structure in transversely spaced apart relation and being interconnected with each other, the spacing between said sill elements equalling substantially the spacing of a pair of said oollisio'n post elements, each end of each sill element terminating adjacent oneof said collision post elements, and

:means rigid-1y securing each said'sill end to theadjacent collision postelement.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which each end vof each sill element terminates in overlapping flanking elements are parallel with each other throughout their length and each has a one piece web extending in a single vertical plane between the collision post elements at opposite car ends to which it is secured.

4. In a railway car underfirame structure, a center sill unit extending longitudinally from end to end of the structure and having a pair. of transversely spaced sill elements provided with continuously extending vertical webs, the spacing between said sill elements being approximately the width of the passenger aisle in the car, a coupler and draft gear housing unit of usual standard size at each end of said structure between said sill elements, the width of said housing being considerably less than the spacing between said center sill elements, said housing unit having a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally extending, outwardly directed, integral flanges at each side thereof, said flanges extending transversely to bridge the space between the dratt gear'bousing and said center sill elements and into overlapping relation with said sill elements, and means securing said flanges to said sill elements. 5. A structure according to claim 4 in which each of the sill elementwebs is provided with integral upper and lower flanges which underlie in supporting relation the adjacent upper and lower flanges respectively of the housing unit.

6. A structure according to claim 4 in which each of the sill elements is provided with an upper, outwardly extending, horizontal flange and a lower, inwardly extending horizontal flange, said flanges overlapping and underlying the upper and lower flanges, respectively, of the housing unit in supporting relation.

7. In a railway oar underframe structure, a center sill unit extending longitudinally from one end of the structure to the other and having a pair of transversely spaced sill elements, each sill element having a vertical web, a coupler and draft gear housing unit disposed at each end of said center sill between said webs in flanking relation,

each housing unit having at each side a collision post element and an integral horizontal flange, said flanges at the outermost ends of said housing units being recessed adjacent said webs on each of said sill elements, a vertically arranged collision post element extending through one each of said recesses and engaging'the side of the web of the adjacent sill element, means securing said collision post element to said housing unit flange and to said sill element and means securing said flange to the adjacent sill element.

8. In a railway car underframe structure, a center sill unit extending longitudinally from end toend thereof and having a pair of throughrunning, transversely spaced sill elements, each of said sill elements having a vertical web provided with an integral, horizontal, lower flange extending toward the other sill element and an integral, horizontal, upper flange extending away from the other sill element, said structure having atone end at least a pair of collision post elements, one post element of said pair being seatedon the lower flange of and engaging the side of the web of one sill element and the other post element of said pair being seated on the lower flange Olf and engaging the side of the web of the other sill element, and means sec-uringsaid collision post elements to said sill elements.

9. A structure'according to claim 8, further comprisinga coupler and draft gear housing unit disposed in the transverse space between said sill-elementsand between said collision post'elements, and means securing said housing unit to said sill collisionpost elements,

10, A structure according to claim 9 in which the coupler and draft gear housing unit is provided at each .side with upper and lower flanges in overlapping, overlying relation with the upper and lower flanges respectively of said sill elements, and in which said upper flanges of said unit for a portionof their lengths embrace said collision postelements.

11. In a railway oar underframe structure, a longitudinal center sill unit extending from end to end thereof comprising a pair o'ftransversely spaced sill elements, the spacing between said sill elements being approximately the width of the passenger aisle in the car, longitudinally spaced cross elements interconnecting the upper portions of said sill elements throughout the length thereof and supporting .the aisle floor, and a longitudinally continuous, lower member interconnecting the lower portions of said sill elements, and terminating short of the ends thereof, and a pair of spaced truck-mounted bolster units connected with said center sill, said lower member having transverse corrugations therein for its length between the regions of said bolster units.

12. A railway car center sill of approximately standard car aisle width comprising a pair of transversely spaced sill elements, each having a vertical web, a horizontal lower flange extending toward the other sill and an upper flange extending away firom the other sill, a lower member in the form of a substantially continuous sheet of metal having transverse corrugations therein, means securing said lower member to the lower flange of each sill element, a longitudinally extending angle element secured to the inner race of the web of each sill element below the upper side thereof, and a plurality of load-supporting beam cross members seated upon and secured to said angle elements.

13. In a railway car under-frame structure, the combination of a longitudinal center sill unit with longitudinal side sill units, and a sub-floor unit extending between said center sill unit and each side sill unit. each sub-floor unit comprising a sheet metal panel secured along one of its edges to said center sill unit and along the other one of its edges to a side sill unit, said panel having a plurality of corrugations extending in a direction parallel to said center and side sill units, and a plurality of cross members extending between said center and side sill units and secured to said center and side sill units and to said panel.

14. In a railway oar underframe structure, a center sill unit having a longitudinal sill element provided with a longitudinally extending horizontal flange below the upper surface thereof, a side sill unit having a channel member extending longitudinally of the structure, the channel of said member facing toward said horizontal flange, a sub-floor unit comprising a sheet metal, longitudinally corrugated panel and a plurality of spaced cross members secured to the upper sides of said panel through the nodes of the corrugations thereof, said sub-floor unit at one side being disposed within said channel and secured to the walls thereof and at the other side being seated on and secured to said sill element flange, and plate-like members extending between the top sides of said sill element and cross members and being secured thereto.

15. In a railway car underiirame structure, longitudinal side sill units, a longitudinal center sill unit intermediate and spaced from said side sill units, a truck-supported bolster comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse members having central portions disposed below said center sill unit and end portions extending upwardly and outwardly to said side sill units, vertical plate 16. In a railway car underframe structure having longitudinal side sill units and a longitudinal center sill unit intermediate and spaced from said side sill units, the combination with a bolster comprised of a pair of longitudinally spaced transverse members, said members having a mid portion disposed below said center sill unit and outer portions extending outwardly and upwardly to said side sill units, means attaching the ends of said transverse members to said side sill units, means attaching the central portions of said transverse members to said center sill unit, and a load transmitting horizontal member arranged in the space between said center sill unit and each of said side sill units, said horizontal member bridging the space between said transverse members and being connected therewith.

17. In a railway car, an underframe structure, including a center sill provided with longitudinally extending, transversely-spaced sill elements extending longitudinally thereof, side wall units connected with said underframe structure and a floor covering said underfraine structure, seats within and at the sides thereof, and having a longitudinal aisle therebetween, supports for said seats adjacent said aisle arranged vertically above said sill elements and vertical means securing said supports through said floor directly to said sill elements.

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